


The White Scarf

by Nospringonions



Category: Hakuouki
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Related, Canon Universe, During Canon, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 12:17:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20082085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nospringonions/pseuds/Nospringonions
Summary: Written for OkiSai Week 2019 on TumblrTheme: Dance of Seasons





	1. Snowfall

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by elements within the game's common route, Saito's route, and Okita's route.

“This year’s winter feels colder than the last. Right, Hajime-kun?” Souji commented, turning and twisting his body around in exaggerated movements, “I hope that we’ll see some actions today. I need to move more to keep warm.”

“Hmm, unnecessary violence is best avoided, Souji. But I’ll gladly practice with you after we’re done with our rounds if that’s what you like,” Saito offered, then quickly added, “how are you feeling? This weather must be bad for your cold.”

Souji rolled his eyes, “Hajime-kun, stop turning into a mother hen like a certain someone. If I’m not up to it, do you think Hijikata-san will allow me to go on patrol?”

“You’re right,” Saito quietly agreed, “but shouldn’t you be dressing warmer for this weather?”

“Well, not everyone likes to tie a scarf on his neck every single day throughout all four seasons like you, Hajime-kun,” Souji laughed.

They walked in companionable silence for a while until they reached an intersection. As their divisions were moving towards different directions, Saito pulled Souji aside and quietly untied his white scarf and proceeded to wrap it around Souji’s neck.

“What’s this, Hajime-kun?” Souji raised an eyebrow, surprised by his action, and started tugging on the white scarf but Saito immediately stopped him.

“If you still want me to be your sparring partner, you’ll wear it now and return it to me in the training room later. Otherwise, you can forget about practicing together,” he threatened with a little smile.

“Low blow, Hajime-kun,” Souji snorted and adjusted the scarf so it hugged his neck a little more snugly. “See you later then,” he walked off and waved at Saito without looking back.

—–

Saito opened the door to the training room to the pleasant view of Souji waiting for him, and still wearing his scarf compliantly.

“How was it outside?” Souji asked as Saito walked towards him.

“Just one small incident of extortion. We rounded up the perpetrators without any issue. How about your side?”

“Other than you blackmailing me, it’s a very quiet day,” Souji smirked, “I could hardly wait to finish the patrol and get to our training. But before that…”

Souji started unwrapping the white scarf from his neck, however, right at that moment, he felt a sudden tickle in his throat and was unable to restrain the rapid burst of coughing fit. The cold weather made his throat felt so dry that once he started to cough, it would take longer to stop.

Saito stepped closer, his hand half outstretched, but Souji deftly moved away and refused to maintain eye contact with him. Fully aware of Souji’s need for privacy, but also unwilling to leave him alone, Saito rearranged his worried expression to a neutral one and shifted his attention to the wooden sword in his hand. After a while, the coughs finally began to subside and from the corner of his eye, Saito noticed Souji looking up then hastily gripping the scarf and scrunching it into a ball.

“Sorry, Hajime-kun. Let’s take a rain check on our training session,” Souji mumbled sheepishly and darted out of the room without waiting for his reply.

Souji walked quickly in the direction of the well, and felt a small relief that Saito had not followed him out and pestered him with questions. He filled up a pail of water and dunked the scarf into it, fervently scrubbing at the red stains. But no matter how long he rinsed and washed, the blood stain could still be vaguely seen on the pure white scarf. Saito would definitely notice it, so there was only one thing to do.

“Here, Hajime-kun,” Souji brusquely shoved the scarf into Saito’s face as the latter was preoccupied with the snow bunny delicately sitting in his palm. “Didn’t know that you like girly things like that,” Souji sneered, his crooked smile obviously not reaching his eyes.

“Ah, yes, Yukimura showed me how to make it earlier,” Saito replied, a tinge of pink appearing on his cheeks.

Souji was taken aback. He had never seen Saito blushed before, did not even know that he was capable of showing that kind of expression. Souji’s bad mood escalated all of a sudden, and he was about to continue with more snide remarks, when he saw Saito’s face changed as he studied the white scarf.

“This is not mine, Souji,” Saito declared with a frown.

“What do you mean? Of course it’s yours! I don’t go around borrowing scarves from everybody else,” Souji refuted, rolling his eyes with indignance. Just because Saito got busy frolicking in the snow and making snow bunnies with Chizuru, it did not mean that he would wear just about anybody’s scarf.

“This shade of white is different. I know it’s not mine,” Saito insisted coolly, looking straight into Souji’s eyes.

“Fine, fine! I accidentally dirtied it, so I bought you a new one,” Souji hotly confessed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “I thought you’d appreciate my effort, Hajime-kun. But it looked like my gift is nothing compared to that snow bunny you’re holding so tenderly,” Souji argued petulantly, while inwardly questioning himself why he became so ridiculously quarrelsome so quickly.

Saito watched Souji’s temper tantrum with thoughtful silence. He was aware of the latter’s intention to shift his attention away from the replacement scarf. That day in the training room, Saito had actually seen the blood specks coloring his white scarf. But he decided against saying anything, because if Souji was not ready to confide in him yet, then he decided that he would continue to wait patiently.

“I see. Then I shall receive this with gratitude,” Saito nodded, effectively disarming Souji with a rare display of his bright, warm smile.

All of Souji’s bad temper instantly evaporated away and feeling somewhat a little flustered, he managed quietly, “you’re welcome.”


	2. Sakura Petals

Souji remembered the time when he used to love the spring season a lot more. What was there not to love? The warm sunshine shining down on his face, the cool and gentle breeze blowing in his hair, and the beautiful blooming sakura signalling a new hope for him were all a welcome respite from the harsh freezing winter.

However, the good meaning of spring had changed that particular day along with Saito’s departure from the Shinsengumi.

Unlike Chizuru, who was enviably much more honest with her feelings, Souji could not bring himself to say goodbye properly. The only thing he could do well was to sulk alone in his room and replay the scene when Saito wordlessly gave him a curt nod before leaving. That man was always succinct and direct to the point. How cold. What a contrast to the burning heat he felt inside him. But then again, that might just be his fever rising.

If he was not sick, would Hijikata-san send him along with Saito to infiltrate Itou-san’s new faction? That thought had been brewing and swirling in his mind for days after Saito’s sudden departure. Souji was sure with the utmost certainty that Saito was on a secret mission. That was the only logical reason he could bring himself to believe in. Otherwise, there was no way Saito would jump ship from the Shinsengumi without any warning, no way that he would betray Hijikata-san whom he respected very much, and there was even more no way that he would abandon him. Right?

That spring time, Souji often found himself sitting alone under the sakura tree, eating his favorite tri color dango, while keeping an extra stick wrapped and tucked neatly inside his kimono sleeve, just in case Saito returned home early after completing his mission.

The tree branches swayed gently, blown by the cool spring breeze, and Souji was bathed with falling sakura petals. He stretched out his hand and caught an errant petal in his palm. He picked it up and examined it between his fingers, wondering if it looked the same like the one Saito had picked out of Chizuru’s hair. Unknown to them, he was actually watching their goodbyes from a distance, and to this day, Souji still felt a tinge of envy towards Chizuru’s straightforwardness. If he could be more like her in that way, then maybe… He snorted and scoffed at his own meandering thoughts. There was no way he could ever be that honest like her.

“Okita-san, what are you doing here?” Chizuru’s voice abruptly pulled him away from his reverie.

Souji turned with a start and glared at her. She was not the person he wanted to see. More importantly, how could she catch him unaware so easily, and how dare she rudely interrupt his thoughts?

He had initially grown a bit of a liking towards her after the few years she had been living with the Shinsengumi, but ever since witnessing her developing feelings for Saito, a strange sense of hostility started forming inside him.

“It’s none of your business,” Souji replied rudely as he got up. However, it did not get the intended reaction, since Chizuru just quietly smiled at him before turning her attention to a fluttering sakura petal that had fallen on her sleeve. She peered at it then with a small movement of her arm, the petal descended to the ground.

“You’re not going to keep it, Chizuru-chan? Is it because it has no meaning unlike the one you got from Hajime-kun?” Souji teased coldly. He disliked how sometimes she reminded him of Saito, especially with the way she remained calm and unaffected when faced with his antagonistic behavior. It made him want to ruffle her feathers all the more.

“Wh-what do you mean?” Chizuru stuttered, her face reddening.

Souji huffed with displeasure. He had succeeded to unsettle her like he intended to, but his own irritation was also rising. How could she get so flustered just by the mere mention of that sakura petal?

He was sure that had meant nothing to Saito, unlike the new white scarf he saw him wearing on the day he left. A smug little smile formed at Souji’s lips as he imagined Saito wearing his scarf, wrapping it around his neck snugly, keeping himself warm, and bringing it with him wherever he went; while Saito’s own original scarf that had been stained with his blood was kept safely under the floorboard below his futon.

“Okita-san, do you miss Saito-san?” Chizuru quietly asked, her eyes looked up wistfully at the sakura tree.

Souji glared at her, wishing for her to go away and leave him alone. But she did not seem to notice his exasperation, instead she whispered to herself, “I miss him… And Heisuke-kun too. The compound is much quieter without them around.”

Souji stared at Chizuru, half annoyed and half envious at how simply she owned up to her feelings.

“They chose to leave with Itou-san out of their own free will. So if they ended up becoming a threat to the Shinsengumi, I will kill them,” Souji expressed with a malicious grin.

Chizuru’s head instantly swiveled to look at him, her naive eyes widening with shock and disbelief. “But, I thought you’re friends with Saito-san and Heisuke-kun!”

“The Shinsengumi is not a social club. We’re killers. It doesn’t matter if we’re friends or not,” Souji shook his head at her naivete and laughed mirthlessly.

“I see… Live by the sword, and also die by the sword,” Chizuru meekly replied, her eyes focusing at the ground. She excused herself after that and left quickly, but not before telling him politely to get more rest. Souji guessed that her soft heart could not accept their harsh reality.

His own words replaying in his mind, Souji took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. He sincerely wished that he would never have to face a situation where Saito was at the opposing end. He did not want to fight and kill him. But as for himself, dying by Saito’s sword would be a much nicer option than dying uselessly from his consumption.


	3. Thunderstorm

“I knew all along that you were on a secret mission, Hajime-kun! I wish you could have told me about it,” Souji grinned brightly, gazing at Saito, the all important white scarf, a gift from him, still snugly wrapped around the latter’s neck.

Since the moment Saito stepped into the Shinsengumi headquarters, Souji could hardly contain his excitement and was unable to stop smiling so much, that night he pulled Saito into his room for a little catch up session.

“You know that I can’t tell anyone about it,” Saito replied warmly, quieter in expressing his own joy, and gave Souji a once-over, “how have you been?”

“I’m good. Hijikata-san is just being an overworried old lady and keeps me out from all the actions. I’m so bored being stuck inside my room, while you’re out there having all the fun,” Souji laughed jovially, but a moment later, he choked on his own laughter and started to cough.

Mercifully, the coughing fit did not last long, and there was no blood involved. But when Souji looked up, Saito was watching him intently, his mouth pressed into a tight, grim line.

“There’s just no hiding from you, Hajime-kun. How long have you known it?” Souji grimaced, and forced a contrite little smile.

Saito was about to answer when he was interrupted by the loud noise of clashing swords and cackling furies mad with bloodlust. Did the Fury Corp lose control? Sensing an urgent threat, he immediately picked up his swords and got up.

“I will take a look outside. You stay here and guard yourself. I’ll be back soon,” he solemnly instructed, as he placed Souji’s swords next to his futon, then rushed out of the room.

Saito hurried, following the sound of the commotion, and once there, he saw Kazama fighting in a leisurely manner, looking almost bored, while the Shinsengumi members were struggling to keep up with him. The ground around them was littered with multiple corpses of furies.

“If anyone is injured please step back. I’ll handle him,” Saito announced his arrival and entered into iai position.

“Oh, it’s you. Unfortunately, my task here is done, and I don’t have time to play around anymore,” Kazama drawled, sheathing his sword. Then as quickly as he had come, he leapt away, his figure melting into the darkness.

Saito was contemplating if he should chase after him, when Yamazaki announced in an urgent voice, “we have bad news! Some of the furies that got past us, made it into the building!”

“Souji!” Saito muttered under his breath, his legs already started running back into the premise.

He found many dead furies covering the floor of Souji’s room, and among the carnage was an unconscious Souji drenched in blood, his silvery white hair distinctly prominent amidst the sea of red.

“Souji! What have you done?” Saito hissed, conjuring up mental images of what must have transpired. His face twisted in quiet agony as he hoisted up Souji’s limp figure and tried to rouse him but failed. “Yamazaki, get Matsumoto-sensei here immediately!”

—–

Lightning flashed in the night sky, intermittently illuminating the dark street, revealing the bloody scene of the massacre that Saito had been too late to stop.

“This is too much, even by your standard, Souji,” Saito frowned, his monotonous voice dripping with disapproval.

“They all deserve a fate worse than death for trying to kill Kondou-san,” Souji’s mouth split into a sadistic grin, “they need to suffer more pain, an easy death is too good for them.”

“Are you here to stop me, Hajime-kun?” He scoffed.

Saito kept his silence, looking straight into Souji’s red eyes. Was it madness he saw in them? He felt a cold shiver running down his spine. Someone he cared about was becoming a different person. “Souji-”

“Don’t get in my way, Hajime-kun. It’s my duty to kill all of Kondou-san’s enemies. I’m still the sword of the Shinsengumi. A sword doesn’t think, it only kills,” Souji turned his sword, so the sharp end was aimed at Saito. He took a deep breath, revelling in the alluring smell of fresh blood around him.

In response, Saito lowered his body into a crouch and his hand reached for his sword. If Souji really turned into a bloodthirsty monster, was he prepared to stop him at any cost?

They stood on opposite ends, staring each other down until a loud crack of thunder broke their silence, giving them the signal to kick the ground and lunged towards the other.

Saito had fought Souji in the past, but fury Souji was a whole other level. His moves were much faster, more precise, and deadlier. Furthermore, Saito did not fight to kill, he was more busy defending than attacking, while trying to get a word in to convince Souji to stop his spiralling madness and return back with him.

“We changed that night, Hajime-kun,” the shadow of a smile played on Souji’s lips as he swung down his sword, “you’re still living in the light. I’m different now, I can only exist in the shadows, staying hidden in the dark.”

Saito nimbly blocked and stepped around, forcing his way forward with the intention of disarming Souji.

“Light and shadow exist together. When there is light, there is shadow.” He paused, seeing the flicker of emotion in Souji’s expression, “even if you’re in the darkness, I can still see you.”

Souji’s face contorted in anguish, and he forced out a laugh that sounded more like a cry, “I’m sorry, Hajime-kun, but you’re wrong.”

Saito let out the breath he did not know he was holding. He realised that there was no convincing Souji, but perhaps one person could have the desired effect.

“Chief Kondou has awaken. His fever has broken now, and his life is no longer in danger,” Saito announced, observing the shift in Souji’s mood as he lowered his sword.

“Are you sure, Hajime-kun? You’re not lying to me, aren’t you?” Souji gripped his shoulders, a relieved smile spreading across his face. His hair gradually turned back to its original color, and his eyes were no longer red.

“I know he won’t die so easily! I’m so glad he-”

Souji winced with pain. He clutched his injured shoulder, and fresh blood trickled out of the gunshot wound, soaking his haori. His body started to sway as his vision blurred.

“Souji! Are you alright?” Saito steadied his slackening figure, “hold on to me, I’ll take you back!”

—–

It was discovered that Souji had been shot by a silver bullet, and even after receiving treatment, his gunshot wound refused to heal properly. To make matters worse, it turned out that the water of life had not cured his illness. His condition deteriorated quickly, and it was immediately decided that he would be moved to Osaka Castle along with the injured Kondou-san for convalescence.

“Don’t think about anything else. Just focus on reclaiming your health,” Saito said as he neatly wrapped his white scarf around Souji’s neck, “I’ll wait for you to come back and return me this scarf yourself.”

Souji stared unblinkingly at him, not quite sure of what to say. He had an ominous feeling because he knew his own condition best, and moreover, the Shinsengumi was facing an imminent war…

“I was uncertain before, but now I know that you’re still the same Souji. I feel the same warrior spirit within you,” Saito gave him another one of his rare warm, sunny smile and patted his shoulder comfortingly.

Souji grinned affectionately in return, and resting his head on Saito’s shoulder, he whispered, “don’t die, Hajime-kun.”

“I won’t,” Saito chuckled before quickly turning serious, “don’t die too, Souji.”

“See you later then!” Souji laughed, walking away and waving at Saito without looking back.

Both of them oblivious to the fact that it would be the last time they saw each other.


End file.
